Concrete batching plant



July 11, 1944. oss

CONCRETE BATCHING 'PLANT Filed,Aug. 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 11', 1944. E. MOSS 2,353,487

CONCRETE BATCP I ING PLANT Filled Aug. 19; 1943 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1944 2,353,487 I CONCRETE BATCH-DIG PLANT Edwin Moss, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Edwin Moss and Son, Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application August 19, 1943, Serial No. 499,245

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a concrete batching plant, particularly to an improved mechanism for shifting the batching bucket from a position under the supply hoppers containing the various ingredients to be mixed to a dumping position for discharging the materials into the mixing drum of a portable mixer, and has for an object to provide an improved and simplified construction for operating the bucket, which does not require hydraulic power means with its accompanying pumps, valves and similar mechanisms together with its reducing power drive because of the limited movement available.

Another object is to provide a construction in which any required amount of movement may be readily secured with a step-up power arrangement so that much less power is required to operate the bucket and still plenty of movement is secured to give the bucket the necessary travel without difiioulty.

Another object is to provide a construction which is very simple, requiring a minimum number of parts and may be readily and quickly applied to a batching plant and connected with the motor available in such plant for operation thereby, and one in which liability of failure is reduced to a minimum so that it will operate indefinitely in an efiicient and effective manner with a minimum loss of time for repairs.

With the foregoing and other objects in view I have devised the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invergtion is not limited to the specific construction and arrange ment shown but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing somewhat diagrammatically a batching plant with my im-' proved bucket operating means applied thereto, certain elements being shown in section to more clearly illustrate the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved :means for operating the bucket;

Fig. 3 is a detailed section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Hg. 4 is a perspective showing diagrammatically the arrangement of the cables and pulleys over which they run.

The batching plant illustrated comprises a hopper arrangement 5 in different compartments of which are placed the solid ingredients such as sand, gravel or broken stone and cement, the

trucks carrying the sand and gravel being run onto a platform (not shown) at the outer end of the hoppers 6 and dumped into these receiving hoppers from which they are carried by conveyors 7 and deposited in the compartments of :the hopper arrangement 5. Associated with these compartments are weighing or measuring devices (not shown) to weigh out the proper amount of sand, graveland cement for one load of the mixer, which are discharged through control openings located at 8 at the bottoms of the hoppers through which they are discharged into the bucket 9 which at this time is located in the dotted position to under the hopper arrangement 5. This bucket is operated between this receiving or loading position and an upper or dumping position indicated at 9a in full lines for dumpingits contents into a mixing drum (not shown) on a truck. The proper amount of water may be supplied to the bucket or to the drum for mixing with the aggregate or solid materials in transit to the job or place of use. The bucket is provided with supporting and guide Wheels or rollers H1 at its opposite sides running in inclined guideways II which may be spaced angle irons 2 or a channel iron or other suitable guiding means. This guideway cooperates with the wheels to maintain the bucket in the upright position until it reaches the dumping position at which time it curves to a position to permit dumping of the bucket as indicated and may have upturned ends I3 to form a stop to limit forward movement of the bucket.

It has been common to use hydraulic means for shifting the bucket from the lower receiving or loading position to the upper or dumping position, but considerable difiiculty has been experienced in operating such devices as they are complicated and as an operating piston is required the amount of travel is limited, and pumps and valve mechanism are required which are liable to leak and get out of order. Also as there is considerable travel required for the bucket a step-up connection is required between the piston and the bucket to give the necessary travel to the bucketfrom the limited travel of the piston, and as the load involves considerable weight this means considerable power is required of the piston and there is heavy strain on the connecting mechanism, which often breaks or fails involving a shut-down of the plant with a resultant loss of time and also the expense of repairs.

With the present operating mechanism this hydraulic drive is eliminated and any desired travel is readily applied to the bucket with a stepdown mechanism, requiring much less power to by a friction clutch 25. The motor 2| may bea separate motor or it could be the motor for driv ing the conveyors fl and the measuring apparatusor other driven elements of the plant through controlled drives (not shown as they form no part of the present invention). drum I4 is a cable 26 running over a pulley 21 swivelled at 28 to a support 29 mounted onthe,

bed I5. From this pulley the cable leads at 26a to the upper pulley 30 mounted adjacent one end of a guide member, in this instance a channel 'iron 3|." From the other side of this pulley 3|] the cable runs forwardly at 25b to a pulley means on a movabl block 32. In the specific arrangement shown there are a pair of pulleys mounted on the block 32 comprising upper and lower pulleys 33 and 34 respectively. Th cable run 26b passes around the upper pulley 33 and then at 250 to a lower stationary pulley 35 below the pulley 30. From the pulley 35 the cable runs at 2601 to the pulley 33 also on the block 32 and then at'fie to an anchor 36 on a stationary means, such as the bed I5, or a flange 31 of the angle member 3|. Pulleys 30, 35 may be mounted on any suitable stationary support 38 secured adjacent the end of the channel member 3| and the block 32 which is movable is located between the side flanges 31 and 39 of the angle member 3| 7 and is guided thereby so that the block slides along this channel member as a supporting and guide means. Leading from the block 32 and connected thereto by any suitable means such as the loops M) are a pair of cables M running over stationary guide pulleys 42 mounted in a support 43 at the other end of the channel member 3| from which they run over guide pulleys 44 mounted on the bed l5, and run upwardly to pass over guide pulleys 45 and 46 from which they extend to the bucket 9 and to which they'are secured at 41 adjacent opposite ends thereof so as to provide an even pull and prevent jamming of the bucket in the guide rails II and insure uniform movement thereof.

It will be understood that if the bucket is in the lower dotted position of Fig. 1 and if the drum M is operated from the motor 2| to wind the cable 26 on it, the cable will operate through the pulleys 27, 33, 33, 35, 34 to shift the block 32 carrying the pulleys 33 and 34 rearwardly or to the right along the channel member 3|. This block will therefore draw the cables 4| through their guide pulleys and will shift the bucket 9 upwardly Leading from the may be employed depending on the power increase or travel required or found desirable. Operation of the bucket is ordinarily controlled by hand through the clutch 25 and the brake H, but as a safety feature a lever 48 is placed where it is hit by the bucket or a stop means 49 thereon as it approaches the dumping position and through the connections 50, 5| and 52 will release the clutch and set the brake if they have not already been released and set by the operator,

This device has proved very reliable and efficient in operation. The power required to drive it is greatly reduced over the old arrangements,

- and as the operating cable is wound on the drum ther is no difficulty in securing the necessary movement of the operating means to give full travel to the bucket, and this full travel may be secured with a power step-up arrangement so that a relatively low powered driving motor may along the rails II to the dumping position 9a.

be used for operating buckets with relatively heavy loads. The device can also be readily applied to the batching plant and will function indefinitely without trouble. After the dumping of the bucket the weight of the bucket may be employed to return it to the loading position after the brake I1 is released or a weight may be connected to the bucket to assist in drawing it back to this position. 7

Having thus set forth the nature of my inven tion-what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower position to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways, means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a guide member extending along one side of the hopper, a block slidable on said member and guided thereby, pulleys mounted on the block, stationary pulleys mounted adjacent the guide member, a drum, power means for operating the drum, a cable connected to the drum and running over said pulleys and anchored at its other end so that winding of the cable on the drum will shift the block along the guide member, and cable means connecting the block with the bucket so arranged that shifting of the block will shift the bucket.

2. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower position to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways', means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a movable block, pulley means carried by the block, stationary pulley means, a drum, power means for operating the drum, a cable connected to the drum and running over said pulleys and so arranged that winding of the cable on the drum will shift said block with a reduced relative motion, and a cable connection from the block to the bucket so arranged that the shifting of the block will shift the bucket to the dumping position.

3. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower position to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways, means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a channel member extending substantially horizontally with its side flanges upright, a block slidable in said member between the flanges, pulley means mounted on the block, stationary pulley means adjacent one end of the said member, a drum, power means for operating the drum, a cable connected with the drum and running over said pulleys to shift the block along said member when the cable is wound onto the drum, and cable means connecting the block to the bucket arranged to shift the bucket from the loading to the discharge position by movement of the block.

4. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower posi tion to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways, means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a movable block, a pair of pulleys carried by the block, a pair of stationary pulleys, a winding drum, power means for operating the drum, a cable connected to the drum and extending therefrom to one of the stationary pulleys, from this pulley to one of the pulleys on the block, from the latter pulley to the other stationary pulley, from this pulley to the other pulley on the block and then to an anchor adjacent the stationary pulleys, and a cable running from the block to the bucket and connected thereto and arranged to shift the bucket from the loading to the dumping position by shifting of the block as the first cable is wound on the drum.

5. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower position to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways, means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a substantially horizontal guide member -including spaced upright side flanges, a block slidable between the flanges and guided thereby, a pair of pulleys on the block, a pair of stationary pulleys located adjacent one end of the guide member, a winding drum, power means for operating the drum, a cable adapted to be wound on the drum extending from the drum to one of the stationary pulleys, then to one of the pulleys on the block, to the second stationary pulley, then to the other pulley on the block and from this pulley to an anchor adjacent the stationary pulleys, other stationary pulleys adjacent the other end of the guide member and guide pulleys between these pulleys and the bucket, and one or more cables connected to the block and running over the latter pulleys to and connected with the bucket to shift the bucket from the loading to the dumping position by movement of the block as the first cable is wound on the drum.

6. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower position to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways, means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a substantially horizontal channel member arranged with its side flanges upright, a block mounted to slide in the channel member between said flanges, pulley means on the block, stationary pulley means adjacent one end of the said member, a winding drum, a cable adapted to be wound on the drum and running therefrom to and between the pulley means and so arranged as to shift the block along said member on winding of the cable on the drum, guide pulleys between said block and the bucket, a cable connected with the block and running therefrom over the guide pulleys to the bucket arranged to shift the bucket from the loading to the dumping position by movement of the block, power means for driving the drum to shift the block, and control means for the driving means.

7. In a device of the character described including a hopper adapted for holding solid ingredients for concrete, a controlled discharge means from the hopper, inclined guideways and a bucket movable on said guideways between a lower position to receive material from said discharge means and a dumping position at the upper part of said guideways, means for shifting said bucket between said positions comprising a substantially horizontal guide means, a block mounted to slide along said means and guided thereby, pulley means on the block, stationary pulley means, a winding drum, a cable adapted to be wound on the drum and running therefrom to and between said pulley means and so arranged as to shift the block along said guide means on winding of the cable on the drum, a cable connected with the block and the bucket arranged to shift the bucket from the loading to the dumping posi-- tion by movement of the block, power means for driving the drum to shift the block, and control means for the driving means.

EDWIN MOSS. 

